Stacked array of reaction receptacles

ABSTRACT

A configuration of mini-volume reaction receptacles ( 1, 16, 41 ) of which the housings ( 2, 17 ) each enclose an elongated chamber ( 3, 18, 42 ) of which the ends are connected to apertures ( 6, 7, 20, 22 ) of the particular housing, said housings exhibiting the same base surfaces and being of low height compared to the base surface and are stacked one on another while their base surfaces are mutually aligned, at least one aperture of a receptacle communicating with at least one aperture of a consecutive receptacle as seen in the direction of stacking, said configuration being characterized in that the receptacles ( 1, 16, 41 ) are mechanically interlocked in the direction transverse to the direction of stacking and can be plugged one into another, and each receptacle comprises at least one aperture ( 6, 7, 22 ) accessible to a pipette at its top side.

[0001] The present invention relates to a configuration of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] A configuration of this kind is known from FIG. 6B of WO 96/14934. In this configuration, two receptacles of the kind defined in the preamble are stacked one on the other within the cavity of a basic housing while subtending a communication passage. The chambers are designed for different purposes of reaction and allow carrying out different reactions on a specimen that, in sequence, is moved first into one of the chambers and then is moved through the communication passage into the other. Such a design allows a number of different applications. For instance one chamber may be used to purify DNA material and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) may be carried out in the next chamber. As indicated in FIG. 7 of the said document, its design may be modified by being fitted with a heater for the PCR chamber.

[0003] The known basic design of this housing comprising the stacked array is required to support in place said stack and comprises intake and outlet ducts to supply specimen material to the chambers. However said basic housing also demands substantially large areas exceeding by far the base area of the chamber cases. Moreover the required basic housing entails substantial increases in costs.

[0004] A stacked array of two chambers is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,624, said chambers being received compactly in one common housing. This design allows an array of several tightly adjacent receptacles that may be serviced jointly through the pipette tips of a multiple pipette configured in the conventional grid of a micro-titration tray. The chamber configuration of the second cited document is fitted for such purposes with a pipette-accessible aperture at its top.

[0005] However the application of the said second document incurs the drawback of the firmly integrated configuration of the two chambers, thereby constraining use of the two chambers only in a fixed relation. Using the chambers individually or changing for instance the sequence of the chambers or the number of chambers required in a given process is precluded.

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to create a stacked array of the above kind wherein therefore the individual chambers are exchangeable and may be stacked one on the other in the desired sequence while nevertheless making it possible to operate with a compact, stacked array in applications using a multi-pipette.

[0007] This problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

[0008] In the invention, the particular chambers of identical base area, that is on the same array of base areas, may be superposed on each other into arbitrary heights. The mutual geometric interlock assures fixing the stack in place and accordingly a basic housing requiring additional area is not needed. The stack's housings subtend between themselves chamber communications and as a result specimens may be sequentially pumped through various chambers for the purpose of implementing consecutive reactions. Each housing being fitted at its top side with an aperture for pipette access, pipetting may be carried out at arbitrary stack heights into the particular uppermost housing. The housings being relatively dismantlable, the individual housings also may be used for individual reactions independently of other housings, or they may serve as preliminary reaction stages in order to allow subsequent further reactions in other chambers. The pipette which shall be set on the uppermost housing may be used to pump specimen liquid through the chambers, said pipette communicating with that chamber which at the time contains a reaction specimen. Accordingly a small array area with conventional multi-pipette configurations suffices to set up a serviceable stack which may be applied in highly versatile manner by exchanging or interchanging chambers to the most diverse reactions even including a very large number of reaction stages.

[0009] The geometric interlock between the chamber housings may be implemented by special clamps or plug-in devices. Preferably however use shall be made of the features of claim 2. In this respect the interlinked apertures themselves act also as plug-in devices, as a result of which housing manufacture shall be substantially simplified and far more economical.

[0010] Illustratively and as claimed in claim 3, the pipette-accessible apertures in the form of recesses together with corresponding protrusions of the above housing may create the plug-in connection, again simplifying manufacture.

[0011] As already mentioned above, the housings may receive different chambers for different purposes. One or more chambers may be fitted for PCR purposes. This entails regulated chamber heating which, as in the initial, first-cited documents, may be in the form of a small heating element situated near the chamber. Advantageously however the features of claim 4 should be used. If the lowermost reaction receptacle, of the stack is used for PCR functions, then it. may be conventionally placed on the top surface of a PCR cycler block and be temperature-regulated at its bottom surface, thereby attaining highly effective temperature regulation.

[0012] The features of claim 5 are advantageous. Compared to chamber designs which are wider as for instance in the first of the above cited documents, claim 5 offers the advantage of a better wall/volume ratio, and this improved wall/volume ratio is advantageous with respect to PCR and also to chambers with wall-bound reagents and furthermore for other purposes. In addition this design of the invention offers the advantage of improved rinsing in the absence of dead corners.

[0013] The features of claim 6 are advantageous. This design, which is already known for instance from the above cited first document, offers the advantage of simple manufacture particularly applicable to PCR chambers in order to attain a planar surface allowing good temperature regulation and being thermally highly conductive, for instance by making the tray out of metal.

[0014] The features of claim 7 are advantageously applied to a PCR reaction receptacle to improve rapid temperature regulation of the entire chamber volume.

[0015] The claims of claim 8 are advantageous as regards a chamber in the form of a narrow duct. On account of the capillarity of the narrow, elongated chamber, the specimen shall be well cohesive, that is it will not tear apart during pumping. Moreover mixing a specimen may be improved by repeated pumping in both directions.

[0016] The features of claim 9 are advantageous. The bends entail shearing forces and thereby again improve mixing.

[0017] The features of claim 10 relate to the same purposes.

[0018] The features, of claim 11 are advantageous. If the filling aperture is made narrower and in particular is made capillary, good suction on the filling aperture will be assured and allows residue-free emptying by suction at the filling aperture.

[0019] Advantageously at least one of the chambers shall be designed in the manner claimed in claim 12. As a result nucleic acid may be purified in the reaction stage carried out in said chamber, and this merely by through-rinsing. This step may precede in particular a further reaction in a subsequent PCR chamber.

[0020] The drawings illustrate the invention in schematic manner.

[0021]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section along line 1-1 of the reaction receptacle shown in FIG. 2 mounted on the temperature-regulating block of a thermo-cycler,

[0022]FIG. 2 is a section along line 2-2 in the FIG. 1,

[0023]FIG. 3 is a planar block constituted by several reaction receptacles,

[0024]FIG. 4 is a receptacle—used for purifying nucleic acid—in the stacked position on the reaction receptacle of FIG. 1,

[0025]FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of the duct of the purifying receptacle of FIG. 4,

[0026]FIG. 6 is a section corresponding to FIG. 1 of the reaction receptacle shown in a variation for optical investigations,

[0027]FIG. 7 shows a further variation in the manner of FIG. 6,

[0028]FIG. 8 shows a further variation corresponding to that of FIG. 6, and

[0029]FIG. 9 shows a stack of FIG. 4 but with three mutually stacked reaction receptacles.

[0030]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a reaction receptacle 1 comprising a rectangular housing 2 made of an appropriate plastic. A reaction chamber 3 is formed into the underside of the housing 2 in the form of a recess and is covered downward by a metal foil 4 which is coated with a plastic layer 5 on the side facing the housing 2. By means of the plastic foil 5, the metal foil 4 may be bonded to the lower surface of the housing 2 or be joined to it thermally, for instance by hot-sealing. In this manner the reaction chamber 3 is closed on all sides.

[0031] The reaction chamber 3 is in the form of an elongated duct running in winding manner around several bends. At its ends, said duct is open by means of apertures 6, 7 with respect to the top side of the housing 2. As shown by FIG. 1, the apertures 6, 7 are fitted at their upper free end each with a recess 6′ that illustratively may receive in sealed manner a pipette tip 8. The reaction chamber 3 may be filled from said pipette tip through the aperture 6, the other aperture 7 used for ventilation.

[0032] The reaction receptacle shown in FIG. 1 is used for PCR. Using the pipette tip 8 shown in FIG. 1, first a specimen containing a nucleic acid to be amplified may be fed into the reaction chamber 3. Using the same or another pipette tip 8, the mixture of reagents required for PCR may then be added. Thereupon thorough mixing of the inserted mixture may be attained by advancing and retracting it in the elongated duct constituted by the reaction chamber 3. This process is enhanced by the narrow cross-section of the chamber 3 and furthermore by turbulence and shearing forces generated at the chamber's bends. As shown by FIG. 2, the cross-section of said chamber widens at its end, that is toward the aperture 7. This feature also increases mixing.

[0033] As shown by FIG. 2, the chamber 3 is very elongated and exhibits a tiny cross-section preferably exerting at least in the vicinity of the intake aperture 6 a capillary effect on the liquid. As a result, capillarity will keep the liquid together and this liquid remains stressed in the vicinity of the intake aperture, as a result of which it may not only be introduced through the aperture 6 but also be aspirated again by it without residues remaining in the chamber 3. In this manner problem-free filling, to-and-fro motion (for the purpose of mixing) and withdrawal through the aperture 6 shall be feasible.

[0034] The narrow geometry of the chamber 3 moreover assures that even in the presence of small quantities of introduced liquid, there shall be filling of a segment wherein the liquid coheres in bubble-free manner and exhibits surfaces only at the front and rear ends of the liquid-filled segment. These surfaces are small and the interfering evaporation arising during raised PCR temperatures is substantially averted.

[0035] It must be borne in mind that the entire reaction chamber is planar and situated at a very small distance from the metal foil 4. As a result it may be temperature-regulated by said foil.

[0036] The metal. foil 4 may be heated and cooled in different ways in order to temperature-regulate the specimen in the reaction chamber 3. Applicable heating may illustratively be direct heating of the metal foil 4 by passing an electric current through it. Furthermore the shown reaction receptacle 1 also may be directly set on the surface of a Pettier element in order to be selectively heated or cooled by said element.

[0037] However FIG. 1 shows that the reaction receptacle 1, together with the metal foil 4 constituting the temperature-regulating surface of the reaction receptacle 1, is mounted on the surface of a temperature-regulation block 9 of a substantially commercial thermo-cycler. As regards the present purposes, the temperature-regulating block 9 may be a simple flat plate which is very thin and therefore of little heat capacity, whereby said block may act quickly in its temperature regulation. Illustratively Peltier elements are mounted underneath the temperature-regulating block 9, of which one element is shown as 10 in FIG. 1.

[0038] The shown planar design of the reaction receptacle 1 is suitable for configuration in juxtaposition with further identical reaction receptacles 1′ and 1″ on the temperature-regulating block 9. A lid 11 may be lowered onto the reaction receptacles and force them against the temperature-regulating block 9 to attain improved heat transfer.

[0039]FIG. 1 also shows that the reaction receptacle 1 may be fitted with a sealing cap 12 which is secured by a strap 13 to the housing 2 of the reaction receptacle 1. The sealing cap 12 is fitted with sealing protrusions 14 which in sealing manner may engage the particular recess at the upper end of the apertures 6, 7 of the chamber 3 in order to seal said chamber. In the closed position the lid 11 may press against the flat top side of the sealing cap 12.

[0040] In a variation of the above described embodiment, the chamber 3 also may assume other geometries, for instance being a round or rectangular planar chamber, care being required that all volume elements of said chamber always must be near the temperature-regulating metal foil 4. In a variation of said above discussed embodiment, the metal foil 4 may be eliminated and only a plastic foil 5 may be used which, when very thin, also shall offer excellent heat transfer.

[0041] On a smaller scale, FIG. 3 shows a topview of the assembly of FIG. 1 and that a substantial number of the rectangular reaction receptacles 1 may be juxtaposed in rows and columns, for instance in the conventional 8×12 configuration of a total of 96 receptacles. As shown by FIG. 1, these receptacles may be mutually abutting. Such abutting configuration may be assured for instance by geometrically interlocking the reaction receptacles. For that purpose they may be fitted at their abutting sides with appropriate protrusions. These receptacles moreover are designed to allow stacking them.

[0042]FIG. 4 shows the reaction receptacle 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the stacked configuration with a superposed purification receptacle 16 which is very similar to the reaction receptacle 1. Said receptacle 16 comprises a plastic housing 17 wherein, just as in the reaction receptacle 1, a purification chamber 18 is subtended at the underside and initially is open. Said purification chamber 18 is closed by a plate 19 which in this instance need not be a thin foil and which is connected in appropriate manner to the housing 17 so as to seal it. A purification chamber 18 is subtended in the embodiment in the form of an elongated duct and cross-sectionally resembles the reaction chamber 3 of FIG. 2.

[0043] The plate 19 comprises two downward pointing adapters each fitting into the recess 6′ of the apertures 6 and 7 of the reaction receptacle 1. A duct 20 connected to the purification chamber 18 also communicates with the filling aperture 6 of the reaction chamber 3 and a duct 21 acting as the venting duct and passing through the housing 17 of the purification receptacle 16 freely upward for ventilation communicates with the other aperture 7 of the reaction chamber 3. The other end of the purification chamber 18 not connected to the duct 20 communicates with a duct 22 running to the top side of the housing 17 and comprising at its top side a recess 6′ to receive the pipette tip 8.

[0044] The purification chamber 18 is used to purify the nucleic acid present in a specimen to be tested before PCR shall be carried out. As shown by FIG. 5, the wall of the purification chamber 18 is fitted for that purpose with an appropriate layer 23 which is bonded to said wall and which exhibits properties to retain nucleic acid under given, selected circumstances and to release it under other given, selected circumstances.

[0045] The full procedure carried out in the configuration of FIG. 4 may be controlled by the pipette tip 8. First said pipette tip feeds the specimen containing the nucleic acids into the purification chamber 18. Then the said nucleic acids are immobilized in the purification chamber 18 at the layer 23. Accordingly the chamber 18 may be purified by introducing and evacuating liquid. Thereupon and under appropriate conditions, liquid may be supplied to absorb the newly released nucleic acids and transfers them through the duct 20 into the reaction chamber 3 of the reaction receptacle 1. The reagents implementing PCR may already have been admixed or be post-fed in a second stage from the pipette tip 8. Thereupon the reaction chamber 3 is heated and cooled through the foil 4 and PCR is carried out. Next the product enriched by amplification nucleic acid may be evacuated.

[0046] In a variant regarding the housings 2 and 17 shown in FIG. 4, such housings also may be constituted each for instance by two mutually merging chambers. The housings 2 and 17 retain the same planar geometry and base surfaces as shown in FIG. 4 in order that they may be stacked with other housings, for instance receiving only one chamber.

[0047] After being taken apart, the two housings 2 and 17 of FIG. 4 also may be used alone, in particular the housing 2 receiving the PCR chamber 3.

[0048] Illustratively the shown receptacles 1 and 16 may be externally rectangular as shown above at a base surface (FIG. 2) with edge lengths of roughly 10 mm and a height (FIG. 1) perpendicularly to the surface of the temperature-regulating block 9 roughly of 1 mm (or a few mm). The total volume of the chambers 3 or 18 may be roughly 20 μltr, whereby specimens of a few μltr may be used.

[0049] A stacked configuration of these housings may be configured in the array of FIG. 3 on an array surface and as a result stacked configurations may be juxtaposed in the array. The array of FIG. 3 then may be serviced simultaneously by pipette tips 8 also configured in a matching array.

[0050]FIGS. 6 through 8 show variations of the reaction receptacle 1, the reference numerals used heretofore being retained as much as possible.

[0051] The reaction receptacle 1 of FIG. 6 corresponds to that of FIG. 1 except for a recess 30 above one of the segments of the chamber 3. As a result only a very thin wall of the housing 2 exists above the chamber 3 in the zone of the recess 30. The entire housing 2 is made of an optically transparent material.

[0052] A detection device 31 is shown mounted in such manner to the reaction receptacle 1 that by means of an optical transmitter 32 it irradiates the housing 2 laterally as far as the chamber zone underneath the recess 30. An optical receiver 33 enters said recess 30 to test fluorescent light in the chamber 3.

[0053] The reaction receptacle 1 may rest on the temperature-regulating block 9 of FIG. 1 and PCR may be carried out in it. The detection device 31 may monitor by means of appropriate procedures the amplification taking place during PCR.

[0054] As regards the embodiment of FIG. 6, the optical path denoted by the arrows runs at an angle through the housing. This configuration therefore is suitable for fluorescence.

[0055]FIGS. 7 and 8 show variations operating on the basis of a straight optical path and therefore being appropriate not only for fluorescence but also for photometric processes.

[0056] As regards the embodiment of FIG. 7, the housing 2 is fitted at its top side with two recesses 34, 35 situated one on each side of a segment of the chamber 3. The transmitter 32 and the receiver 33 of the detector device 31 dip into the two recesses 34, 35, and, in this embodiment mode, the transmitter and the receiver point at each other. Accordingly, in this embodiment mode, a zone of the chamber may be irradiated along a straight path and consequently optical measurements may be taken in order to monitor reactions in the chamber 3 or to investigate reaction products.

[0057]FIG. 8 shows an embodiment variation of the embodiment of FIG. 7. In this instance the design of the reaction receptacle 1 substantially corresponds to that of FIG. 6. However a window 36 has been cut out of the metal foil 4 underneath the recess 30. In the zone of said window, the chamber 3 is sealed off only by the plastic coating 5. In this embodiment mode the transmitter 32 and the receiver 33 of the detection device 31 are configured underneath and also above the reaction receptacle 1 as shown in FIG. 8. This embodiment mode is inappropriate for PCR. The reaction receptacle 1 may be used as a cuvette in this embodiment mode.

[0058] As regards the embodiment modes of FIGS. 6 through 8, and provided the design be appropriate, the purification receptacle 16 also may be used instead of the reaction receptacle in order to monitor the progress of purification in said receptacle 16 or to merely use it as a cuvette for appropriate detection purposes.

[0059]FIG. 9 shows a stack configuration corresponding to that of FIG. 4, but in this instance comprising three superposed reaction receptacles. The reaction receptacle 1 situated at the bottom of the stack corresponds to that shown in FIG. 1 or to the lower receptacle shown in FIG. 4 and is used for PCR. It rests on the temperature-regulating block 9 of FIG. 1.

[0060] The uppermost reaction receptacle 16 corresponds to the receptacle of FIG. 4 and is used for DNA purification before implementing PCR. It is fed from the pipette 8 which, after purification, presses the specimen through a transfer duct 40 of the center reaction receptacle 41 toward the PCR chamber 3 of the lowermost receptacle 1. After the execution of the PCR in chamber 3 of the lowermost receptacle 1, the pipette forces the specimen upward into the chamber 42 of the center reaction receptacle 41, the chamber 42 being, for example, embodied as shown in topview in FIG. 2. After the specimen has passed through this chamber and after carrying out a scheduled reaction therein, said specimen may be withdrawn again consecutively through all chambers by means of the pipette 8. At its free end, the chamber 42 communicates through a duct 43 with the venting duct 21 of the uppermost reaction receptacle 16 in order to allow venting during the to-and-fro motion of the specimen in the chambers of the stack configuration, that is, to preclude any backing up.

[0061] Again the stack configuration of FIG. 9 may be designed to match the array of FIG. 3 in order that a matching multi-pipette may service several stacks juxtaposed in an array jointly.

[0062] As regards special applications, and by increasing the stacking height, further reaction receptacles fitted with special chambers appropriately communicating with each other may be constituted in order to carry out a series of consecutive reactions. 

1. A configuration of mini-volume reaction receptacles (1, 16, 64) of which the housings (2, 17) each enclose an elongated chamber (3, 18, 42) that by its ends is connected to apertures (6, 7, 20, 22) of the particular housing, where said housings exhibit each the same base surface and are of slight height relative to the base surface and are stacked one above the other while the base surfaces are mutually aligned, at least one aperture of one receptacle communicating with at least one aperture of a consecutive receptacle as seen in the order of stacking, characterized in that the receptacles (1, 16, 41) subtend a mutual mechanical interlock in the direction transverse to stacking and are designed to be superposed one on another and each receptacle comprises at least one aperture (6, 7, 22) at its top side to allow access to a pipette.
 2. Configuration as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the connected apertures are designed as plug-in connectors.
 3. Configuration as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the aperture (6) of the lower receptacle is fitted with a recess (6′) to receive a pipette (8) and in that the aperture (20) of the upper receptacle is fitted with a protrusion engaging the recess in mechanically interlocking manner.
 4. Configuration as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lowermost receptacle (1) of the stack is a PCR reaction receptacle.
 5. Configuration as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chamber (18) of at least one receptacle is a narrow duct.
 6. Configuration as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chamber (3, 18) of at least one receptacle (1, 16) is a recess in the housing (2, 17) and in that this recess is covered in sealing manner by a plate (4, 19) bonded to the housing (2, 17).
 7. Configuration as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the chamber (3) is planar and all its volume is close and parallel to the flat bottom surface (4) of the housing.
 8. Configuration as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the cross-section of the chamber (3, 18, 42) is selected to be capillary at least in segments of its length.
 9. Configuration as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the chamber (3, 18, 42) runs along a path including bends.
 10. Configuration as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the chamber (3, 18, 42) exhibits different cross-sections along its length.
 11. Configuration as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the cross-section of the chamber (3, 18, 42) narrows toward the filling aperture (6).
 12. Configuration as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one receptacle comprises a chamber (18) of which the inside wall is large in comparison with the volume of said chamber, a layer (23) to purify nucleic acid being detachably affixed to said inner wall. 